


darling, only you can ease my mind

by boston_sized_city



Category: The Bright Sessions (Podcast)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:21:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29806950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boston_sized_city/pseuds/boston_sized_city
Summary: the first time caleb is there for one of adam's worse nightmares.
Relationships: Adam Hayes/Caleb Michaels
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	darling, only you can ease my mind

**Author's Note:**

> title from ease my mind by ben platt

Caleb woke up to the sharp rush of fear and panic. At first he couldn't register where it was coming from, too tired and too much panic running through him to let him think coherently. But then as he woke up a little more, he was allowed a moment to think, and remembered Adam in the room across the hall.

His chest tightened. _Adam._ His mind was racing, offering him fifty different reasons why Adam would be panicking like that in the middle of the night. And then he heard the scream.

He pushed himself out of bed, trying to push down the panic as he went for the door. His hand was clammy, and he fumbled with the doorknob to get it open. The fear got worse, pushing down heavily on his chest, and he managed to get his door open.

Adam's door was open, thankfully, and Caleb was in the room in a second. He found Adam sitting on the floor in the corner, legs pulled up to his chest and hands clamped over his ears. He was shaking, rocking back and forth and crying.

Caleb ran over and knelt down in front of him. "Adam? Adam, can you hear me?"

Adam didn't answer, and suddenly Caleb remembered something Caitlin had told him before he and Adam had moved in together. _"Sometimes he would get these, like, really bad nightmares. He never talked about it, though, and he would always act like nothing had happened in the morning."_

He reached out and shook Adam's shoulder, trying to wake him up. "Adam. C'mon, it's just a nightmare." He knew neither of them would get any good sleep if Adam kept panicking.

There was a sharp sting of _something_ Caleb couldn't exactly place– surprise, maybe, but it didn't feel normal– and Adam gasped, seeming to pull himself out. He started breathing hard, and Caleb moved his hand. "Hey– Hey, you're okay, it's me. I'm here."

Adam grabbed onto his hand and held it, his breathing slowing as he calmed down. He swallowed. "Caleb?"

"Are you okay?" He'd dealt with panic attacks before, but this was different. He had no idea how to approach this. As the panic subsided, and was replaced by sleepy confusion, Caleb gently pulled him closer, his touch light enough that Adam could push him away if he wanted.

He didn't. "Yeah… I… I'm okay." Adam dropped his head onto Caleb's thinly-covered shoulder, and Caleb could feel his tears through the fabric of his light t-shirt.

"Do you need anything?" Caleb asked, already rubbing circles on Adam's back, feeling him relax at the touch.

"Just hold me?" Adam asked softly.

Caleb held him a little tighter, shifting so Adam was settled comfortably in his lap. He kissed the top of his head and then just sat still, silently comforting him.

Eventually Adam sat up, wiping his eyes with his wrist. "Thanks," he said.

"Do you want me to stay the night in here?" Caleb asked. He brushed his thumb against Adam's cheek.

Adam leaned into his hand. "Just in the room?" he asked. 

Caleb nodded. He knew that sometimes when Adam was panicking or upset, he'd want Caleb there for the sake of knowing that he was with him, but touch or being too close was suffocating and made it worse.

He helped Adam up, and walked back over to the bed with him, laying down on the opposite side. He felt Adam shift next to him, and then a kiss was pressed to his ear. The mattress shifted again as Adam went back to his own side to go to sleep.

Sleep washed over Caleb quickly, the panic and fear melting away. The only emotion he felt as he drifted off to sleep was a quiet, calm sense of security, and he smiled softly in his half-asleep state, comfortable knowing Adam was sleeping soundly next to him.


End file.
